Relations between Macedonia and Switzerland, expanding economic exchanges, the European outlook and regional security were at the center of talks held today in Skopje between Timço Mucunski, minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Ignasio Kasis, head of Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and chair of the OSCE. At a joint appearance before reporters, they highlighted their shared priorities for bilateral cooperation, stability in the Western Balkans, European integration and the OSCE’s role in the current security environment.
The meeting took place during the Swiss minister’s visit to the country. Alongside bilateral relations, the ministers discussed trade and economic matters, opportunities for investment and new business partnerships, and development cooperation for 2025–2028. They also addressed geopolitical and security challenges, Switzerland’s OSCE chairmanship, the situation in the region, domestic reforms and the country’s European future.
Të lidhura
None found
Speaking about the path toward the European Union, Mucunski reaffirmed Macedonia’s European orientation. He said he and Kasis had discussed the progress of reforms and the country’s strategic goal of becoming a full member of the EU.
According to Mucunski, the government is pursuing a policy that combines realism with ambition: continuing reforms, aligning with European standards and expanding relations with all European countries.
He said he and his Swiss counterpart agreed that the new geopolitical circumstances call for more decisive leadership, solidarity and unity. In the face of major changes around the world, Mucunski described predictability, responsibility and lasting partnerships as essential, seeing them as the only way to protect peace and prosperity in Europe.
For his part, Kasis placed stability and the European outlook among the three pillars of cooperation. He said a stable and prosperous Western Balkans is a priority both for Switzerland and for the entire OSCE area. Welcoming and supporting the country’s European future, he said that path would strengthen its position within the broader political and security framework.
Kasis explained that the OSCE’s contribution to integration could include monitoring and assessing the state of the rule of law, as well as facilitating relations with neighboring countries. He said the organization remains ready to continue that support through its mission in the country.
Explaining the slogan Switzerland chose for the OSCE, he described trust, security and prosperity as an inseparable chain: security cannot exist without trust, and prosperity cannot be achieved without security. He presented preserving trust as a goal of this effort.
Mucunski described the visit as important in two respects: the bilateral agenda and Kasis’s responsibility as OSCE chair. According to him, the talks took place at a particularly decisive moment for European peace, stability and security, while also offering an opportunity to reaffirm the excellent relations between the two countries and their shared determination to develop them further.
On economic matters, Mucunski said the discussions had focused on expanding cooperation, particularly in trade, the economy and investment. He said both sides see considerable scope for closer ties between their business communities and for new partnerships in various fields. The aim, he said, is for the economy to play an even stronger role in bilateral relations and to open up opportunities for cooperation for citizens as well.
During the part of the talks devoted to the OSCE and regional developments, Mucunski welcomed the Swiss chairmanship’s commitment in the face of a complex security environment.
He expressed confidence that, with Switzerland at its helm, the organization would continue to make an important contribution to trust, dialogue and security. Switzerland has Macedonia’s strong support in these efforts, he added.
Mucunski also reaffirmed the partnership with the OSCE and the commitment to its principles, whose importance, he said, is growing under current conditions.
Kasis recalled that Switzerland’s excellent bilateral relations with Macedonia date back to the beginning of its independence. He noted that this was his first visit to the country in his nine years as minister.
In his remarks, the Swiss minister divided relations and cooperation into three areas: the human dimension and diversity, economic ties, and stability together with European integration.
He thanked the country for its help and solidarity with Switzerland after the tragedy in Kran-Montana on January 1 of this year. Kasis recalled that Macedonia was among the first countries to respond after the accident, following its spontaneous expression of solidarity with concrete assistance, informed in part by its own experience of the tragedy in Koçani.
In thanking North Macedonia, he emphasized how quickly it responded after the tragedy in Switzerland’s Kran-Montana, which occurred nine months later, on January 1 of this year. He stressed that the country had not only expressed solidarity immediately but had also offered the necessary support, drawing on the painful experience it had itself endured.
Kasis also expressed gratitude to Macedonia’s diaspora in Switzerland, which he said numbers around 100,000 people. He praised its contribution to Switzerland and its role in encouraging Swiss support for the Balkans’ development after the fall of Yugoslavia, when the region’s countries needed to rebuild their institutions and societies.
On cultural and linguistic diversity, the Swiss minister noted that both countries serve as meeting points for different cultures, languages and traditions. He described this shared characteristic as an opportunity for mutual enrichment.
On the economic front, Kasis drew attention to the visit in April of this year by Gi Parmelan, president of the Swiss Confederation and minister of the Economy. During the visit, Parmelan met Mucunski and helped establish the Switzerland–North Macedonia Chamber of Commerce.
According to Kasis, economic ties are one of the main areas on which efforts to develop cooperation should focus. He argued that trade and economic exchanges support peace and stability, illustrating the point with the idea that routes used to move goods are not routes for weapons.
He singled out the development cooperation program for 2025–2028 as another important element. Through this program, Switzerland supports the reforms the country aims to implement.
Kasis explained that, by 2028, the aim is to gradually shift support toward more direct assistance for the economy, job creation and investment opportunities. He said this approach should increase the country’s economic capacity and contribute to the stability of the Western Balkans.
